In a system including a plurality of computers, software installed on each computer may be managed. For example, one of techniques for license management is to collect inventory information using a software dictionary and identify software existing in managed computers according to what files and what registry entries are in the managed computers. There is also a technique for monitoring changes made to files and registry during installation.
Please see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications Nos. 2001-222424, 2011-197849, 2004-502236, and 2007-334821.
In a cloud or other environment with an increasing number of managed computers, it is demanded to confirm the identity of software installed on each computer.
However, differences in terms of much smaller units than administrators' manageable units (for example, products) are detected through the collection of inventory information or differential management of registry information.
Even if differences in files and registry entries between computers are detected through the collection of inventory information or the like and thereby an identity is not confirmed, administrators may not determine what countermeasures to take (reverse resolution) because the individual files and registry entries are not associated with the administrators' manageable units.
Further, a software dictionary does not contain sufficient associations between each of all products and individual files.
There is a technique for monitoring processes to identify the owners or the like of files added during installation. This technique, however, merely identifies the attributes of the individual files, as in the above techniques.